The present invention generally relates to a system and a method for connecting mobile devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and a method for connecting mobile devices which may transmit data between a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal may determine and/or may recognize an identification of the second terminal based on information of a database which may be connectable to the first terminal. The identification of the second terminal may enable and/or may permit the first terminal to establish and/or to open a connection between the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal may transfer and/or may transmit the data in a first codec to the second terminal. The first terminal may select the first codec based on the identification of the second terminal and/or based on information associated with the second terminal which is stored in the database. The database may store information about capabilities and/or preferences of the second terminal, and such information may be used by the first terminal to recognize and/or to determine the first codec which may be acceptable and/or may be receivable by the second terminal. As a result, the second terminal may receive, may accept, may process and/or may display the data in the first codec which may be transmitted from the first terminal via the connection.
Alternatively the first terminal may be incapable of identifying the second terminal, or the database may not include capability information and/or preference information associated with the second terminal. The first terminal may in such cases select the first codec without using information from the database.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the second terminal may not be capable of receiving, of processing and/or of accepting the data in the first codec. An exchange of capabilities and/or of preferences of the first terminal and of the second terminal may be transferred and/or may be transmitted between the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal may determine and/or may identify a second codec which may be acceptable by the second terminal for receiving, for processing and/or for displaying the data received from the first terminal. The second codec may be determined by, may be associated with, may be identified from, and/or may correspond to the exchange of capabilities and/or of preferences of the second terminal. The data in the second codec may be received by, may be processed by, may be accepted and/or may be displayed by the second terminal from the first terminal via the connection. As a result, a call setup between the first terminal and the second terminal may be established and/or may be opened via the connection for transferring the data in the first codec or in the second codec. Moreover, the second codec of the second terminal and/or the capabilities and/or the preferences of the second terminal may be stored in the database of the first terminal.
It is generally known, for example, that mobile devices, such as, for example, a first terminal and a second terminal may conduct a video conference to communicate and/or to transmit multimedia or data between the first terminal and the second terminal via 3G-324M standard protocol. The multimedia and/or the data may consist of audio, video, and/or other types of data. Traditionally, the 3G-324M protocol enabled terminals may be, for example, a 3G mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (hereinafter “PDA”), a laptop computer and/or the like. The first terminal may transmit the multimedia or the data in one or more codec formats to a second terminal during the video conference and/or data exchange. Prior to transmitting the multimedia and/or the data between the terminal, a terminal capability set (hereinafter “TCS”) message must be transmitted between the terminals to identify a version of a control protocol, such as, for example, H.245 which is acceptable to and/or is used by each terminal and/or to identify capabilities of each terminal. As a result, the terminals determine which codec or codecs may be acceptable by both terminals to transmit, to transfer, to receive, to accept, to process and/or to display the multimedia and/or the data by the first terminal and/or the second terminal.
A master/slave determination (hereinafter “MSD”) message must also be exchanged between the terminals prior to transmission of the multimedia and/or the data between the terminals. Information in the MSD message is used for a subsequent channel negotiation to determine which codec or codecs will be used and/or are acceptable to transmit and/or to transfer the multimedia and/or the data between the terminals. A transmission channel, such as, for example, an open logical channel (hereinafter “OLC”) is established between the terminals after the first terminal receives and/or processes the TCS message and the MSD message from the second terminal. As a result, the multimedia and/or the data in the codec or in the codecs is transmitted between the terminals via the transmission channel using the codec and/or the codecs which are acceptable by each terminal as identified in and/or as determined by the TCS message and/or the MSD message.
However, the first terminal will not transmit the multimedia and/or the data to the second terminal without receiving the TCS message and the MSD message from the second terminal. The transmission channel between the terminals will not be established and/or will not be opened until the first terminal receives, accepts and/or processes the TCS message and the MSD message from the second terminal. Moreover, a duration of a setup time to begin transmission of the multimedia and/or the data between the terminals is extended by and/or is based on durations of times for transmitting the TCS message and the MSD message between the terminals and/or for negotiating and establishing the transmission channel between the terminals. An initial exchange of capabilities and intents commonly used by the terminals result in a lengthy call setup period before the multimedia, and the data may be exchanged between the terminals via the transmission channel.
A need, therefore, exists for a system and a method for connecting mobile devices. Additionally, a need exists for a system and a method for connecting mobile devices which may transmit data between the mobile devices prior to communicating capabilities, preferences and/or other messages between the mobile devices for identifying an acceptable codec for the data. Further, a need exists for a system and a method for connecting mobile devices which may have a database with information corresponding to and/or associated with the mobile devices to determine a first codec for transmitting data between the mobile devices. Still further, a need exists for a system and a method for connecting mobile devices which may identify the mobile devices based on information in a database to determine a first codec for transmitting data between the mobile devices. Moreover, a need exists for a system and a method for connecting mobile devices which may detect when data transmitted in a first codec is not acceptable to the receiving terminal for switching the transmission of data to a second codec acceptable to the receiving terminal. Furthermore, a need exists for a system and a method for connecting mobile devices which may establish and/or may open a transmission channel between the mobile devices for transmitting data in one or more codecs via information in a database of one of the mobile devices. Additionally, a need exists for a system and a method for connecting mobile devices which may store information about capabilities and preferences of a remote terminal received during call setup and/or the like in a database for use in future communication attempts and/or in connection attempts. Further, a need exists for a system and a method for connecting mobile devices which may minimize and/or may reduce a duration of call setup time expended by the mobile devices prior to and/or during transmission of data between the mobile devices via information in a database of one or both of the mobile devices.